site.btaVice President Iotova Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Veliko Tarnovo University

We will work even harder to restore Bulgaria's cultural influence in the world, Vice President Iliana Iotova said on Monday, receiving the title of doctor honoris causa of the University of Veliko Tarnovo. “This title means  being a follower of the Tarnovo school,” she added and said she was proud and grateful for this recognition. “From now on, we will work with even greater strength for the development of Bulgarian studies, and everywhere in the world - for the return of Bulgaria's cultural influence,” she said, adding that this is her mission, and today is one of the most important days in her life and biography.

The honorary title was awarded to Iotova on the patron holdia of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo by Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov. He read out the decision of the Academic Council for awarding the honorary title to Iliana Iotova on the proposal of an initiative committee chaired by Prof. Nikolay Doynov. Attending the ceremony were Veliko Tarnovo Mayor Daniel Panov, Chairman of the Municipal Council Ventsislav Spirdonov, constitutional judge Prof. Atanas Semov, MPs Mariana Boyadjieva and Pavlin Petrov, representatives of institutions and the scientific community and the nominating committee.

In her remarks Iotova recalled moments from Bulgarian history, the past of the capital city of Tarnovo and the Tarnovo Literary School established here. “Veliko Tarnovo University is the Tarnovo School of the 21st century, it continues to preserve and develop the Bulgarian language, the rich Bulgarian spirituality and culture,” Iliana Iotova said. She recalled the theses of the Italian linguist Riccardo Picchio about Bulgaria as a spiritual empire of the Slavs and the importance of the Bulgarian language for them, equal to the importance of the Latin language for the whole of Western Europe.

The Vice President said that joint efforts would support the development of Bulgarian studies worldwide and its study in leading world universities.